Leading
The Way . . . “We are proud to be the
first North American carrier to sign
a direct leasing agreement with Sonoco ThermoSafe
for PharmaPort 360 declared United Cargo President
Jan Krems.
“Along
with our relentless focus on speed, reliability
and quality, TempControl customers appreciate
our drive to ensure UA Cargo service remains
relevant and valuable to the evolving pharmaceutical
marketplace.
“We are
excited to offer customers the ability to
lease the PharmaPort 360, a smart active packaging
option, for the safe transport of health care
material throughout our TempControl network
of 68 certified locations,” Mr. Krems
concluded.
The PharmaPort
360 is the industry’s only active temperature-controlled
container with a fully integrated, FAA-approved
telemetry system.
The system provides
real-time, cloud-based data, precisely synchronized
with GPS location, on payload, ambient temperature
and key mechanical components.
PharmaPort 360
utilizes proprietary thermal technology to
provide extremely precise, long-duration +5
°C temperature control for the transport
of highly valuable biopharmaceutical shipments.
Geoffrey
(More www.unitedcargo.com)

Antonella
is a name that reminds Italian native speakers
of sweet family memories when they
live far from loved ones.
Many mothers,
aunts, and sisters are called Antonella in
Italy, bringing to mind a tasty plate of pasta
or crisp fried fish, as light as the good
olive oil it has been fried in.
Antonella Straulino
is indeed Italian, has a sweet, helpful and
kind nature, she is a good cook, as many Italian
women are, but, more importantly from our
point of view, she is a real expert in the
FIATA Vocational Training initiatives.

FIATA
Vocational Training

She has been
present at each validation and revalidation
session in the last couple of decades and
has been the invisible right arm of the Chairperson,
Mr. Thomas Sim.
This is probably
the most significant (and time consuming)
of her interests within the FIATA portfolio.
Let us however
get there in steps: you will hear that Mrs.
Straulino has a complex personality and is
gifted in many different fields.

Lifelong
Friends

Antonella and
I have been friends for a long time.
She came into
my life as the persona reminding me of the
Rolling Stones’ song “She’s
a Rainbow.” “Have
you seen her all in gold?
“Like
a queen in days of old she shoots colors all
around like a sunset going down…”
were the lyrics that came to my mind the first
time I saw her.
In time I came
to learn that there was one thing superior
to her blue-eyed charm: her intelligence.
She was bright, fast, and a great achiever.
She had described
herself once in an interview as a “problem
solver.”
Oh, boy, how
true is that! I have heard her answers satisfy
the most exacting of the Italian forwarders
and her explanations win the trust and confidence
of her colleagues from the world-wide constituency
of FIATA.

From
Superba to The World

Born on September
16 in Genoa, the “Superba” ruler
of the seas together with Venice in the Middle
Ages, Antonella studied languages.
Her family is
not originally from Genoa and comes from the
Carnic Mountains surrounding the peak of the
Zoncolan, the famous and very tough climb
of the cycling classic, Tour of Italy.
The Straulinos
gave Italy an admiral, commander of the famous
sailing school ship Amerigo Vespucci, and
Olympic gold medal. Whilst she was later studying
law she found a job, or . . . better to say
the job found her.
The Cameli group,
owned by one of the ruling families of Genoa
whose core business was petroleum and energy,
ensured this young, enterprising queen-in-the-making
was not setting sail to other shores.
She was involved
in the group for many years in key positions,
which put her in contact with the freight
community in the city and abroad.

Arrival At Fedespedi

This
was the stream that brought Antonella to Fedespedi,
the association of the Italian freight forwarding
community.
This happened
in 1995.
After working
as the right arm of the late Alberto Petrozzi
for many years, Antonella still holds control
of the international relations of Fedespedi;
for freight forwarders at the service of international
trade, as Fedespedi’s members are, this
is actually a key role, in particular in a
country like Italy, which still occupies a
rather important place in global trade.
Antonella did
not marry early, but as intelligent and soft
spoken man as her husband is, he did not let
this opportunity fly away, giving her the
ring and two “ready-made” children,
as she puts it.

Italian
Powerhouse

Today Antonella
Straulino is one of the FIATA Vice Presidents,
a member of FIATA’s Air Freight Institute
(AFI), Advisory Body Legal Matters (ABLM)
and Advisory Body Vocational Training (ABVT).
She also cooperates with CLECAT, the EU level
association, holding Board positions in both
associations.
Antonella worked
on the guidelines for issuing standard trading
conditions, the FIATA sea waybill, and the
model correspondents’ agreement.
Since 1999 she
had been involved in vocational training and
is now deputy chair of the ABVT, as well as
a member of the management committee of the
FIATA Foundation for Vocational Training.
Mrs. Straulino
is also one of the judges and a member of
the steering committee of the YIFFY Award,
as well as a member of the FIATA Logistics
Academy.
I shall not
continue on this long list of positions and
achievements, but rest assured that she has
the right answer for you, whatever your question
in logistics, FIATA affairs, EU bodies, etc.
might be.

The
Wonder of a Woman

Antonella looks
very young and dynamic, but has a wealth of
experience that came from dealing with a life
path that has not always been very easy.
Those who have
close and personal contact with her know of
her extraordinary courage in dealing with,
and successfully overcoming, a serious health
problem.
Anto, as we
often call her confidentially, is far from
considering herself the kind of wonder woman
we may think that she is: she has an unusually
modest character and manages to contain within
limits of impeccable politeness her strong
feelings when she is obliged to deal with
persons who try to lecture her and often overlook
her superior skills.
This does not
even disturb her.
She continues
working patiently and successfully as she
has always done.
As it should
be, we are all proud of our friend Antonella
and my impression is that it was high time
somebody wrote about her extraordinary personality.
Those readers
who will participate in the FIATA World Congress
in New Delhi from September 26-29 will have
the opportunity to meet her in person.
Look for Anto,
as she makes us all look good.Marco Sorgetti

Nashik Airport
located at Ozar about 20 kilometers northeast
of the city of Nashik,
Maharashtra, India is owned by Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited, which had used the airport primarily
to develop, test and build aircraft for the
Indian Armed Forces.
Now Nashik is
seeing a second life for air cargo; in fact
the airport will double its annual growth
in 2018 exporting goats and sheep to places
including the UAE.
Exporting Goats
and sheep to Sharjah started in 2016.
So far in 2018
12,356 goats and sheep had been dispatched
from Nashik via eight flights. The animals
are usually sent during the monsoon season
(June to August).

Get
His Goat

A logistics veteran,
Sudhakar Sen, CEO, HALCON (a joint venture
between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Container
Corporation of India, that manages the airport)
spoke exclusively to FlyingTypers.
“Yes,
the executive said,” the number of flights
are rising and the stats depict the confidence
of the trade.
“In 2016-17,
the airport handled nine freighters a month
while in 2017-18, the number went up to 38.
“This
year between April 1, 2018 and July 18, 2018,
Nashik saw 22 freighters and also handled
129 scheduled passenger flights.
“While
the airport has handled a wide variety of
cargo – including an AN-124, it is ready
to send out pharma products to Kabul in Afghanistan.”
Elsewhere airport
sources indicated that there would be two
such cargo flights a month.
“About
100 tons of pharma products will transit Nashik
each flight.”
As Sen pointed
out, “HALCON has been handling export
pharma cargo at the air cargo complex for
last five years. “These pharma consignments
are transported to the gateway airport (Mumbai)
through bonded trucking.”
Sen emphasized
that HALCON was “actively working to
facilitate the direct air uplift of the pharma
cargo from Nashik Airport.”

Price
& Location

Freight forwarders
pointed out that Nashik would be ideal for
pharma exports since there are quite a few
pharma manufacturers in the city as well as
in neighboring Aurangabad, around 185 km away
by road.
“These
pharma units could avoid an already congested
Mumbai airport – around 165 km by road
– and send their goods out from Nashik
Airport,” FlyingTypers was
told.
“In fact,
the airport wants to get 20-25 per cent of
the 40,000 tons a month of cargo currently
handled by Mumbai airport.”

An
Airport Centerstage

“Nashik
is slowly emerging from the shadows and becoming
popular with cargo carriers and operators,”
CEO Sen declares adding,
“Response
is immense and in addition to non-scheduled
freighters recently, we handled 8 B747 freighter
technical landings in June 2018.”

About
Nashik

It was way back
in September 2011 that the HALCON-operated
Nashik Airport (well known as Ozar Airport)
started its commercial services).
The airport
has a large cargo facility as well as a passenger
terminal.
With passenger
services started at the end of last year,
came belly cargo. For example, the Jet Airways
flight, which launched Delhi-Nashik-Delhi
sector on June 15 is carrying export cargo
for London and Dubai.
“With
this the trade and industry in Nashik is getting
direct access to the international market,”
Sen said.
Along with Jet,
IndiGo and SpiceJet have also started operations.
“The Regional Connectivity Scheme will
act as a catalyst for economic growth of the
Nashik region.
“As we
say, the economy of a nation flows in the
wings and wheels of transportation,”
Mr. Sen declared.

Future
In The Wings

Hanuman statue at Nashik, India.

HAL decided
in 2005-6 to start commercial operations from
the airport and offered the government-run
Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR)
(whose core business is being a carrier, a
terminal operator, and a warehouse operator)
11 acres of land for cargo operations.
As Sudhakar
Sen put it: “HALCON is a successful
marriage between HAL and CONCOR two of India’s
well known PSUs. CONCOR fulfils its role providing
cargo handling and Customs operations and
HAL provides air traffic control and navigation
services.”
The airport’s
cargo division has seen a 44 percent rise
in exports between April 2017 and March 2018
(5,500 tons in comparison to 3,800 in the
previous year). Of that, 2,000 tons consisted
of perishables, vegetables and fruits along
with goats and sheep.
The air cargo
complex at the airport was inaugurated in
March 2008. With a major investment of Rs
70 crore from HALCON, the cargo complex has
put in warehouses, an integrated packing centre
for perishables, cold storage, facilities
for comprehensive ground handling services,
CCTV surveillance, screening, bar-coding,
labelling and Customs clearance.
Nashik Airport
officials firmly believe that the airport
will become the forwarders’ choice.
Mr. Sen pointed
out that when plans to start commercial operations
were drawn up, there were issues regarding
connectivity and the runway.
All that was
a dozen years ago.
Today, with
all the clearances from the Directorate General
of Civil Aviation, the airport handled a B747-400
ERF some time ago and is now all set to handle
all wide-bodied aircraft.
Comparing Nashik
to other cargo airports (there are none in
India yet), Sen said there was provision for
all the special handling facilities for heavy
cargo, engineering goods, pharma and perishable
goods at substantially lower costs.
“With
low cost airlines ruling the skies, low cost
airports is an idea whose time has come and
Nashik Airport aims to lead the way,”
he said.
Even as the
government regional connectivity initiative
gets going, Nashik airport hopes to bring
down logistics costs. Sen said that the aim
was to reduce cost by bringing the airport
facility virtually to the customer's doorstep.
“We believe
that regional airports like ours can reduce
transportation time and costs for the industry.

Low Cost Connectivity

“As a
low-cost cargo airport we complements operations
at other airports by providing feeder services.”
Sen believes
that the airport would enable the large number
of manufacturers in and around Nashik to connect
to major markets by air.
“Space
has been created to enable forwarders and
airlines to set up offices within the airport.
“We would
also like to leverage Nashik’s agricultural
produce.
“The airport
can be an emerging cargo hub because of its
proximity to major cargo generating centers.
“It serves
the major agricultural belt of Maharashtra
and the state’s third largest industrial
belt with six agri zones and a Special Economic
Zone.

Days
of Wine & Roses

“The city
is also known as the wine capital of India.
“While
the wine produced – both red and white
– from the 29-odd wineries is for domestic
consumption, a lot of it is exported to countries
around the world,” Sudhakar Sen concluded.Tirthankar Ghosh

If
You Missed Any Of The Previous 3 Issues Of
FlyingTypers
Access complete issue by clicking on issue
icon or
Access specific articles by clicking on article
title